Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien attends the ASEAN Special Economic Ministers' Meeting on the U.S.' tariff policy, April 10, 2025 - Photo: VGP

The meeting was attended by the economic ministers of ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and Timor-Leste as an observer. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, accompanied by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant departments under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The meeting discussed the latest geopolitical developments, including the U.S. reciprocal tariffs announced on 2 April 2025 with its impact on ASEAN Member States and ASEAN’s collective response going forward.

Addressing the meeting, the Vietnamese Minister said, Viet Nam has taken a proactive approach in engaging with the U.S. via exchanges, dialogue, and negotiations.

ASEAN needs to remain united, calm, and steadfast in its cooperation with the U.S., prioritizing the promotion of cooperation with external partners in general, and the U.S. in particular, in areas of mutual interest, thus realizing long-term development goals while also enhancing ASEAN's position in the new context, he urged.

He also acknowledged and voiced his support for the content of the Joint Statement that had been discussed by ASEAN Member States.

He emphasized that the Statement reflects ASEAN's unity and proactive role amid increasingly complex and unpredictable global trade developments.

Viet Nam advocates ASEAN to adopt a comprehensive, flexible, and practical approach to strengthening economic resilience and promoting supply chain diversification via making effective use of existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), particularly through the upgrade of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), noted Nguyen./.